In our continuing process of slowly upgrading the House, today, one of last ‘originals’ from moving-in 20+ years ago – the side door to our Garage – got a makeover. Well, less of a ‘makeover’ and more like a complete replacement. Next job? An undercoat, then another undercoat, and then the top coat – to …
Read More
Tablet Coaching: Core Apps – Calculator and Clock
Today, we returned to looking at the wide range of core apps that are installed on most Tablets ‘out-of-the-box’. In this Lesson, we discussed the ‘Clock’ and the ‘Calculator’. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/07/31/tablet-coaching-core-apps-calculator-clock/
Laptop Coaching: Managing Data on a USB Stick
Today, we looked at how to move data top and from a typical USB Stick. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/07/30/laptop-coaching-managing-data-on-a-usb-stick/
Denis at 89
Today, we celebrated Denis’s 89th Birthday. So the Gambles assembled here Bev, Roger, Jane and Oliver for a slap-up Lunch and more… As expected, we spoilt Denis rotten with gifts and Ann’s unrivalled kitchen skills! Denis may not have eaten as much as he used to, but he certainly seemed to enjoy the food – …
Read More
You Wait for Ages…
“…for a bus to come along, then two arrive together!” So goes the saying, and the same could be said for Chinese Buffets too!Having had Lunch there on Thursday, we were at The Mandarin Buffet in Weston Favell again today – this time for Pauline’s surprise 70th Birthday celebration. Jonathan, their son, had done all …
Read More
Wimpole Hall
Chris and Gill parked at ours and we all made our way to Wimpole Hall. We haven’t been there since June 2011, when we went with Lee and Nicki. Today’s visit was our ‘Plan B’ – Plan A was originally to visit somewhere for a picnic, but the weather this week has been so hot …
Read More
Buffet, the Mandarin Slayer
It was a welcome return to The Mandarin Buffet in Weston Favell today. The reason? The semi-regular get-together of ex-Sainsbury Trainer-types: Geoff, Paul and me with respective ‘other halves’ – Rhonda, Sue and Ann. This is surely the cheapest/best value place to eat in Northamptonshire – £8.99 for an all-you-can-eat buffet. As expected then, there …
Read More
Tablet Coaching: Deeper into Play
Today, in a double-lesson, we took a deeper look at the capabilities offered by the Google Play Store. Specifically: ‘Books’, ‘News-stand’ and ‘Music’. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/07/24/tablet-coaching-deeper-into-play/
Laptop Coaching: Word Processing (Parts 2 and 3)
Today, in a special ‘one-off’ double lesson, we continued exploring and using the features of a modern word-processor. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/laptop-coaching-word-processing-parts-2-and-3/
Trainers’ Weekend Away (2018)
It’s that time of year again where a group of us Trainers (‘the 5ive’, because there’s 7 of us – don’t ask!) who worked together on the BA Project back in 1999 get together for a weekend of celebration. This year, there’s five of us – Antoinette, Angela, Philip and me – with June joining …
Read More
Highclere Castle
I’ve always wanted to visit here, not just because it happens to be the set for the Downton Abbey, but simply because it’s a beautiful bit of architecture. It was our gift to Nicki for her forthcoming, (ahem!) ‘significant’ birthday! Sue J joined us for the journey, arriving at ours just before 8am, whilst Nicki …
Read More
Tablet Coaching: Garden Design Apps
A special ‘one-off’ looking at Apps for designing gardens. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/07/17/tablet-coaching-garden-design-apps/
Football’s Coming Home?
..and Tennis too… well almost… to OUR home anyway… We, as a nation, didn’t make it to the finals, but that didn’t stop us having the neighbours round for a very late Lunch – to enjoy the World Cup Final and/or the Tennis Men’s Singles Final. With record crowds expected at both sporting events, ours …
Read More
Farewell to Lee
At 2pm today, we said our final farewell to our good friend, Lee. David and I led the Service at Averil Phillips and Family’s Offices in London Road, where we’d invited all those that she was really close to:- David and I kept the event light with more a ‘celebration of life’ than perhaps a …
Read More
Laptop Coaching: Yahoo Alias and Q & As
Today we looked at the unique feature of Yahoo eMail – setting up an ’email alias’ to help control Spam and organise incoming eMails. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/07/09/laptop-coaching-yahoo-alias-and-q-as/
Saxon Mill (revisited)
We met up with Alan and Mags today for lunch. Last time I was at The Saxon Mill was in January 2015 – and it hasn’t changed a bit! Superb food with superb service. This time however, we ate in the balcony area with a fab view across the water. Lin, our Waiter, was at …
Read More
Lee’s Home – The Final Visit
Well, it’s taken us exactly two weeks on and off (mostly ‘on’) including 12 full car loads to the Dump with 20+ black sacks of ‘stuff’, and other assorted contents, but today at 5.27pm, we finished clearing Lee’s home. Sadly, it really is the end of an era, and all that needs removing now is …
Read More
Tablet Coaching: Chrome Browser
Today, we took a closer look at the popular Browsers for Android Tablets. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/07/03/tablet-coaching-chrome-browser/
Lee’s Movie Collection
Today, was a bitter-sweet experience. Ann and I (ably assisted by David) moved Lee’s two bookcases full of Movies over to the ‘Library’, just off Yeoman’s Court Community Hall in Burton Latimer. We reckon there is over 500 movies in her collection, and Lee has bequeathed them all (as well as all her CDs) to …
Read More
Laptop Coaching: The Photos App
Today, we looked at the capabilities of the free ‘Photos’ App that comes pre-installed on Windows 10. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/07/02/laptop-coaching-the-photos-apps/
Gardeners’ World
Today, we slipped into ‘gardening mode’ and headed off to our good friends Nicki and Richard who have just bought their first house together, in Banstead. We’re here until lunch-time on Sunday with a list as long as your arm of garden-stuff that need ‘sorting’. The specific target? Their back garden – a jungle of …
Read More
A Sunday of Two Halves
A day socialising today – and just like the World Cup, made up of two halves! First half: 12.30 – Paul and Sue came round for Lunch… It was a gorgeous day weather-wise and Ann ‘pulled out all the stops’ in the kitchen for a mouth-watering three-courser… Smoked Mackerel on a bed of Watercress Horseradish …
Read More
Tablet Coaching: BBC iPlayer TV
Today we looked at the features and capabilities of the popular ‘BBC iPlayer TV’ App. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/06/26/tablet-coaching-bbc-iplayer-tv/
Laptop Coaching: “Into the Clouds”
Today, we discussed what ‘Cloud Computing’ means and how this can be used within Windows 10. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/06/25/laptop-coaching-into-the-clouds-2/
Film Night: Black Panther
If you like your super-hero movies – and also cats – this then was the perfect combo! Tonight was movie-night at ours with the recent release of Black Panther (on 4K UHD* of course!) Joining us: Jo and Janet with a few nibbles and some drinkies too!! – another perfect combo! Janet brought up a …
Read More
Tablet Coaching: OoBE!
Today, with one of the Class now owning a brand new Tablet, we discussed the Android OoBE (Out of Box Experience) and helped her set up her new possession ‘from scratch’. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/06/19/tablet-coaching-oobe/
Laptop Coaching: eMail (Part 2)
Today, in the second of our ‘communicating using technology’ lessons, we continued looking at eMail ‘Best Practice’ with Windows 10. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/06/18/laptop-coaching-email-part-2-4/
From Dubrovnik via Kettering to Paris!
Well not quite… read on loyal Reader… What a treat! Our good friends Mick & Jane who we’d last bumped into in Dubrovnik – as you do – invited us to join them today for lunch at the rather swanky Paris House Restaurant for lunch. The restaurant is located on the Woburn Estate amongst 22 …
Read More
Dubrovnik (Croatia): Day 6 – Reflections…
Day 6: FRIDAY Morning Reader! It’s our last full day at Hotel Lapad in Dubrovnik, so thanks for stopping by and reading the final Blog! If you want to view just the Photos from our holiday without any of my chat/commentaries, click HERE – and if you missed any of my daily Blogs, use the …
Read More
Dubrovnik (Croatia): Day 5 – A Walk around the Headland
Day 5: THURSDAY Back again Reader? It’s good to see you! Today is the ‘big one’. Well, it is for me! In a break from our daily No. 6 Bus journey routine, instead, how about an invigorating walk in a complete oval around the Headland? It’ll take in the area where we discovered all the …
Read More